Up to a third of college students transfer during their collegiate careers, including moving from two-year colleges to four-year colleges. The transfer path is well-trod, and it can be the perfect option for a student who isn’t getting what they need academically, or even socially, from their current school. One of the great myths of transferring, however, is that it is a reliable back door into top-tier institutions. “If you didn’t get in the first time, try again a year later,” is — to be blunt — bad advice. And yet every year we are contacted by hundreds of students (and their parents) who think that now may be little Tommy’s time to get into Dartmouth.
Don’t get us wrong, Tommy is a great kid — but the reasons for a student not getting into a school as a high school senior don’t simply disappear with a semester of college under their belt. It’s true that Dartmouth experienced a spike in transfers at the height of the COVID pandemic, but numbers are settling back to normal and it’s harder to get into Dartmouth as a transfer than it is as a first-year applicant. One reason for this is that Dartmouth does not treat transfers as a key piece of their student body (unlike Cornell and Princeton). Dartmouth only accepts transfers to fill vacant seats left by students who have transferred or dropped out — and not many do that after getting into Dartmouth.
If you’re keen on trying to transfer to Dartmouth, working with an expert counselor offers you your best chance at admission. In the meantime, confirm that you are in fact eligible to transfer to Dartmouth, and take a look at their application to start brainstorming your essays — we’ve even broken them down with some of our best advice for how to tackle each prompt below.
The Essays
The Dartmouth transfer application (which is their own app, and not on the common nor coalition application) includes two essays and an optional question.
Essay 1: While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, delivered this memorable line: “It is, Sir…a small college. And yet, there are those who love it!” As you seek admission to Dartmouth, what prompted your decision to transfer institutions and what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? (500 words)
This is the “why us?” of transfer application questions, but it expects more of you than when you were a high school senior. Yes, you still need to have a clear vision of what you want to study. Yes, you still need to speak to specific aspects of Dartmouth that you find particularly interesting and attractive. But you also need to set these things against the realities of your current institution and why it isn’t working for you — all without getting stuck in the negatives.
This is a BIG ask. Writing about why your school hasn’t been a good fit without a) badmouthing your professors or b) badmouthing your classmates or c) badmouthing the administration or the weather or the food service or the dorms or the temperature of the pool isn’t easy. It’s hard to write honestly about something you’re not enjoying without getting so caught up in it that you lose track of where you want to be next…but that’s exactly what you need to do.
Your answer should be academically-oriented, pragmatic, and personal without getting petty. Make clear why your current school does not meet your needs by spelling out how Dartmouth would.
ESSAY 2: Choose one (300 words)
Whichever prompt you pick for Essay #2, you need to tell a story. Where essay #1 demands that you be pragmatic and analytical, Essay #2 wants to see past your academic aspirations to the person behind that vision for the future. Have fun here, be playful, be earnest, and be honest. Most of all, be yourself.
A. The Hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. Use one of these translations to introduce yourself.
We love this prompt because it offers an opportunity to write about one of the most grounding and universal aspects of the human experience: family. If this is the right prompt for you, you probably knew it immediately upon reading it. If so, go with it. If not, don’t force it. There are enough other options that there is zero reason to try to force a response to a prompt that simply doesn’t scream ‘you.’
B. What excites you?
This is the best prompt if you aren’t sure where to start. All of us are excited by something (hopefully multiple somethings), and this prompt is like a mash up of all the other ones plus an additional dose of quirk. It invites you to be curious, creative, and reflective, all while telling a story.
C. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?
We like this prompt best if you’ll be answering the “have you already made” part of it. If you haven’t created something yet, prompts B or D would be awesome options. If you have something under your belt already and it isn’t highlighted elsewhere in your application, this is where you can sign a spotlight on it. Bonus points if it’s a new ice cream flavor.
The one thing we caution writing about here is founding a non-profit. Why? Well, because a nineteen-year-old with a non-profit is more likely to raise eyebrows than to increase your chances of admission. Time and experience over the last few years has shown us — and admissions officers — that far too many non-profits started by young kids aren’t much more than navel-gazing attempts to up one’s admissions chances. We’re going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but do you really want them to be wondering if you’re legit, or if this is all just for show?
D. Curiosity is a guiding element of Toni Morrison's talent as a writer. "I feel totally curious and alive and in control. And almost...magnificent, when I write," she says. Celebrate your curiosity.
This is really the same a prompt B, but with a bit more hand-holding. If you choose this prompt, lean into story. Have fun with it. Write creatively. And don’t be wedded to the standard paragraph format. Write a mini screenplay. Write a podcast teaser. Hell, write an Instagram caption. Have fun with it.
E. "Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away," observed Frida Kahlo. Apply Kahlo's perspective to your own life.
This prompt is pretty depressing. It isn’t inherently depressing, but it tends to attract those who feel trodden on by life. Because if this, we don’t recommend it. It’s too easy to get swept into a “woe is me” narrative that doesn’t improve your chances of admission.
F. In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane Dickey, Class of 1929, proclaimed, "The world's troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix." Which of the world's "troubles" inspires you to act? How might your course of study at Dartmouth prepare you to address it?
In another act of repetition, this prompt is eerily close in spirit to prompt C. Similarly, you need to be careful about not framing yourself as trying to save the world. You aren’t a high schooler anymore, but you’re still (most likely) a teen, and while your bold optimism is awesome, it can also come off as naïve and immature if you aren’t careful.
If you’re going to answer this prompt, you need to be specific. Instead of writing about global hunger, for example, you could write about the lack of access to nutritious lunches during school breaks for school-age children in your home community. Instead of writing about the generalized inequities of the criminal justice system, you could write about a specific aspect of inmate treatment.
Optional (and it truly is): In a moment in history like no other, some have experienced disruptions and other impacts on their well-being, family circumstances, and more. This is not an additional essay, and you are not required to share anything on this topic, but if you would like to tell us how living through COVID-19 has impacted you, please use this space to do so.
If you read our posts frequently, you know that “optional” is rarely actually optional in the world of college admissions. Sure, you can press ‘submit’ without doing it…but just because you can skip it doesn’t mean you aren’t hurting your chances of acceptance by not getting it done. This prompt is one of the few “optional” essays that truly is. If living through the COVID-19 pandemic did not fundamentally change your life or life plans, answering this prompt risks feeling false.
If your life or life plans were fundamentally changed, this is a great opportunity to outline how in a way that is clear, concise, and forward-thinking.
The Credit Conundrum
As you prepare to apply to transfer, it’s important to keep in mind that being accepted to your dream school doesn’t mean getting started there will be equally dreamy. An offer of admission is not an offer to accept all of the credits you’ve diligently collected thus far. Be ready to have to repeat courses, and for your college experience to require a few summer classes or even an extra semester depending on what transfers over and what doesn’t — which you won’t know until after you’ve been admitted.
If you want a team with a proven track record to guide you through your admissions process, send us an email. We help students like you defy transfer statistics to find their dream school.